My mother came to this country at the age of six, braving a long steerage boat trip by herself to find the “Goldene Medina.” Her parents had come before her, and landing at Ellis Island, she came through the golden door of the country to find her way. An unaccompanied …

In one of the show's most emblematic moments, Asad's friends recoil when he sticks to his principles and accepts a cup of tea from a woman of what they see as an inferior clan. This operatic true tale from South Africa of a Somali refugee's harrowing journey of survival resonates ringingly in today's Europe and America.